The content of this piece was written during a viewing of the first episode of Pandora Hearts on November 4, 2010. Edits have been made for spelling and grammar, but the rest is completely untouched, and un-edited from its original format.

The grain effect is intentional, as is the show's overwhelming weirdness. I was able draw comparisons to La Portrait de Petit Cossette. I'll let you decide from there.

8:40 PM: Good evening, everyone, and welcome to another showblog.

8:40 PM: Tonight kicks off a series of features based on NIS.

8:40 PM: Specifically, three titles released in the west by .@nisamerica :)

8:40 PM: We're going to start with their newest title, Pandora Hearts. So, to start off, I'll get the basics out of the way.

8:40 PM: Directed by Takao Kato (Buso Renkin, Sorcerer Hunters)

8:41 PM: Created by Jun Mochizuki

8:41 PM: Music by Yuki Kajiura (Madlax, Noir, My-HiME)

8:41 PM: Animated by Xebec

8:41 PM: Opening theme: Parallel Hearts by FictionJunction

8:41 PM: Ending theme: Maze by Savage Genius

8:42 PM: And I notice this is a Square-Enix show. Taking bets on how long before angst and emo!

8:42 PM: Anyway, I've wasted enough time... let's get this thing rolling :)

8:42 PM: Opens to... rain. Lots of rain.

8:42 PM: And a castle.... and a bridge... in a thunderstorm.

8:43 PM: Moo-dyyyyy

8:43 PM: And grainy... as we see dead people and... Ky Kiske?

8:43 PM: Oh god it's a bondage club D: "My chains of justice shall judge you :3"

8:43 PM: "Uour sin... is your very existence T_T" Well ain't that a kick in the head

8:44 PM: Now we're seeing a huge town? wat '-'

8:44 PM: ....and Large Hadron Collider :O

8:44 PM: "They called it the darkness that swallowed everything. : (" ...black holes do that

8:44 PM: "But that didn't mean there was no light >_>" wat. '-'

8:45 PM: Into the opening... I have to admit - I love FictionJunction. :D

8:47 PM: Wikipedia tells me this is ALL of FictionJunction - Wakana, Keiko, Yuriko, AND Kaori. Epic

8:47 PM: Anyway - episode starting >_>

8:47 PM: No longer grainy... yay :D

8:48 PM: "Oz-chan :3"

8:48 PM: He's in a closet with a little girl? wat '-'

8:48 PM: "GIRUBAATO :O" poor Gilbert '-' Getting grilled by crazy overreactive school marm lady

8:49 PM: SCARY school marm... using poor Gilbert's fear of kitties against him.

8:49 PM: And out they go. toward the lake... while Oz was in the closet >_> wat

8:50 PM: And off the three go. "Mrs. Kate" - awesome name :D

8:50 PM: "They cleaned it up all for you :3"

8:50 PM: Something tells me Oz is a sacrifice.

8:51 PM: "This is where the ceremony will be :D" yep - sacrifice

8:51 PM: And Oz is staring at a giant clock... wtf?

8:51 PM: "That's the silent clock :O" ...gotcha

8:52 PM: Hah :D Uncle Oscar got 'em. Lots of engrish names in this so far - unintentional fun

8:52 PM: "I can't help but tease her :3" he is a cruel kid.

8:52 PM: Ohhh... not a sacrifice - coming of age ceremony.

8:53 PM: Just as bad? I dunno

8:53 PM: blah blah 200 year old mansion before the Tragedy of Sablier

8:53 PM: AKA "huge black hole eats city"

8:54 PM: "You're like a father to me :D" "O___o" Gilbert seems easily shocked

8:54 PM: Poor Gilbert's gonna get his ass kicked.... or just teasted by the cat >_____>

8:55 PM: "Don't mess around during the ceremony tonight T_T" Bondage clubs don't take that lightly

8:55 PM: "MISSES KEITO :O"

8:55 PM: "Where are weoing? :D" "To the secret place :3" ...I don't wanna know

8:56 PM: "What's the abyss? :D" Hell.

8:56 PM: "Is it the same place in that book? '-' " yes. Yes it is. >_>

8:57 PM: This show loves its landscape shots.

8:57 PM: Can't say I disagree - the backgrounds are fantastic

8:57 PM: Hah :D Gil's gonna be in the ceremony too

8:58 PM: Oz is cruel. >_> Crueler than Mrs. Kate

8:58 PM: "I have no right to take part D:" aw..

8:59 PM: Oz doesn't get the idea of social classes.

8:59 PM: And daddy issues.

8:59 PM: He's definitely got daddy issues

8:59 PM: "What's that sound? :O" we're gonna find out

8:59 PM: "A music box? '-'"

9:00 PM: And down they go... right in front of a grave. How convenient for the plot

9:00 PM: Eyecatch.

9:00 PM: "Is this a cemetary? :O" ...just one grave, kid

9:00 PM: With a swanky medallion on it

9:01 PM: That Oz grabs... thus desecrating a grave. >_>

9:01 PM: Smart

9:01 PM: And what is it? A watch, of course :D

9:01 PM: "A melody I've never heard before..." IT WAS JUST PLAYING, IDIOT T_T

9:02 PM: Whoa O_o oz is transported to LSD land where dolls stare at you with dead eyes O_o wtf Japan

9:02 PM: "Where am I? :3" Drug trip

9:02 PM: A bad trip, specifically... everything looks like it'll kill him.

9:03 PM: "He's back :D" ...acid's one hell of a drug

9:03 PM: "She'll be overjoyed ^_^" ...wat

9:03 PM: "She" is here... and she's a girl in white that... goes right through Oz >_> Ghost?

9:03 PM: "I don't understand! '-' " that makes two of us.

9:03 PM: "You come here all the time ^_^" ...wat '-'

9:04 PM: This girl is freaking creepy.

9:04 PM: But does she have a name?

9:05 PM: She can make the flames of hell spew forth when she's pissed... that much I know.

9:05 PM: "I'll kill you T_T" -CHOKE-

9:05 PM: She wants him dead. And... damn is she scary under the bangs O_o "No matter where you hide, I WILL find you T_T" ... T-3000? '-'

9:06 PM: "Are you afraid of me? '_' " I sure as hell am.

9:06 PM: "Fear me :3" ...she's gotta be a demon.

9:06 PM: "In your final moments, I shall use my own hands TO KILL YOU :O" demon or vengeful spirit. Not sure which yet

9:07 PM: But Oz is rightfully disturbed.

9:07 PM: "Should you have taken the watch? :D" probably not

9:07 PM: Poor Oz is guilting the hell out of Gilbert now... scary bastard.

9:08 PM: "You're filthy :O" falling in a ditch does that

9:08 PM: "My neck still hurts from where I was strangled '-' " And it's still bruised... wtf

9:08 PM: ...This is like La Petit Cosette only less bloody ;-;

9:08 PM: And Gil's got mystery demon girl behind him now... fun

9:08 PM: And there she goes. >_>

9:09 PM: Lord Rumsfeld's arrived :D And he's going to fuck the populous and cause them to rise up against their own self interests to make more money!

9:09 PM: Sorry - I shouldn't make political swipes ^_^;;

9:10 PM: Random girl in carriage... and two mystery people talking about the Silent Clock again

9:10 PM: Oz is swanky in his new suit

9:10 PM: As he broods... less than an episode it is :D

9:10 PM: Poor Gil's being possessed, I gather? o_o

9:11 PM: He has the creepy smile that girl had

9:11 PM: Yep... posessed. And he's gon' kill his buddy D:

9:11 PM: In the abyss, we see that girl again... wat?

9:12 PM: "I know this sound D:" Pocketwatch can summon zombies. Got it.

9:12 PM: And end credits.

9:12 PM: With a rockin' song by Savage Genius

9:13 PM: OK... I honestly have NO idea about what to think with this one. On one hand, the concept intrigues me.

9:15 PM: On the OTHER, I can't help but draw parallels to Le Portrait de Petit Cossette - which I deemed an absolute turd, and 90 minutes of torture.

9:15 PM: So.. it could get awesome from here, or it could get godawful. There's no clear indicator of either.

9:17 PM: The one thing I will single out is how grainy the video was. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but it was distracting at points.

9:22 PM: But, well, yeah... if they keep up the creepy angle this could be really fun. if not, it could be a decent show with some flaws to it. :p

9:22 PM: Anyway, thanks for listening to me ramble on. Have a nice night, everyone!

9:27 PM: UPDATE: Apparently, the grain is intentional. http://bit.ly/aPnAcK - No more complaints there, since it's not a technical issue.